How do you plan your off-season vs contest prep differently?

[LiftWithPurpose]

I’m curious how you guys approach your off-season compared to contest prep.

Do you change your training, diet, cardio or recovery that much when getting ready for a show?

Would be good to hear how you plan each phase and what works best for you. Appreciate it!

 

[RockyBuilder]

For me the biggest difference is diet and cardio. Off season I focus more on getting stronger and adding quality size, while prep is more about keeping the muscle and slowly getting leaner. Training doesnt change a ton but recovery becomes way more important during prep.

My advice is to you bro is dont rush the prep or make huge changes too early, give yourself enough time to adjust based on how your body is responding.

 

[rob_irl]

My training volume actually stays pretty high in both phases, but the massive difference is that off-season recovery feels amazing with food in the tank, while prep recovery is basically just managing fatigue and joint pain as body fat drops.